News & Blog

Dreamstarter Blaze Burrows walks us through Stick Game Training

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date

1/19/17

location

Round Valley Tribes, CA

My 2016 Running Strong Dreamstarter project is to teach young boys how to play the traditional Wailaki stick game.

Before we have a stick game training, we have a Trainers meeting. At the meeting we get a commitment of who can attend the training. We also go over what we will do during the training and who will be in charge of what part of the training. We divide our training up in to sections.

First I explain my 2016 Dreamstarter project. I give a general explanation of the game and talk about the Tolowa Deeni trainers and how they taught us how to play and to train.

Another trainer talks about the cultural significance. He explains how it is a game for males and it teaches us stamina, endurance, strength training anddiscipline. He also explains that agreeing to learn the game means agreeing to show respect as a learner.

Next, our mentor, Eddie Whipple,introduces the components of the game as we demonstrate what he is describing.

Here we demonstrate “locking up.”

Here we demonstrate “scratching.”

We demonstrate wrestling, or the anchor position

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Here we demonstrate flinging the tossel and running

Then we have the boys practice by doing drills.

After all the components of the game are practiced, then we let the boys scrimmage. We put them into teams of three (one scratcher, one runner, and one anchor) and give them the opportunity to practice what they have learned.